Return of the Runebound Professor

Zorin pressed against the huge wooden doors and they swung open soundlessly, revealing a massive room beyond.

Carpet stretched across the ground like a red sea. It was smooth and uniform, without any break or interruption from furniture or artwork. Torches flickered from their spots along the circular walls, casting the room in dancing shadows.

The ceiling loomed even higher in the air here than it had been in the rest of the mansion. Noah wasn’t even sure what the purpose of such a massive room was — there were no chandeliers or displays of wealth hanging above to fill the space. It was just dark. As a matter of fact, there was only a single obstruction to the uniformity of the room.

At the very center of the room was a huge throne made of polished white bone. It was easily an entire story high, polished to the point where it shimmered in the firelight. Its back rose nearly two stores into the air, looming over even the enormous demon sitting upon it.

The demon could have been none other than Lord Belkus. He sat at easily sixteen feet tall, clad in polished silver armor that caught the torchlight and sent it dancing in patterns across the carpet at his feet.

Belkus’ skin was a bleached bone white, one that nearly matched the throne in which he sat. His eyes stuck out in sharp contrast, two pools of brilliant blue ice in a sea of snow. A pair of huge, ribbed wings jutted from his back and hung over the edges of the throne like a cape. He watched the group enter his throne room, his chin supported on the palm of a hand, fingers drumming against his square jaw.

Even from where Noah stood, he could feel the power from the demon. It pressed into his domain and threatened to drive him to his knees. The sheer runic pressure rolling off Belkus was almost as much as Noah had felt from Jalen.

That wouldn’t have been impressive if Belkus was a human.

But Belkus was not a human.

He was a demon — and demon magic was so tightly bound up within their physical forms that manifesting any external magic was magnitudes more difficult than it was for anyone else.

There was no doubt in Noah’s mind. A strength like this could only come at Rank 7. No Rank 6 demon would be able to come anywhere close to Jalen’s power. For Belkus to have a presence of this intensity meant that he was almost certainly one of the strongest demons he’d ever met.

Aylin squirmed in place, his eyes darting around the room. He was doing a remarkable job of not looking completely terrified. A Rank 3 in the presence of a Rank 7 was like a fly in the face of a hurricane. The Knowledge Demon shifted to keep Noah between himself and Belkus.

“Lord,” Zorin said, taking a step further into the room and inclining his head. “I have arrived for the audience that you requested.”

There were several long seconds of silence. Belkus’ gaze bored into Noah’s head, and Noah returned the look. Neither of them budged an inch. Finally, Belkus raised the hand that wasn’t occupied with his chin.

“That is apparent, Zorin,” Belkus said. His tone, as smooth and flat as ice, echoed through the room like a roll of thunder. Despite its intensity, it was impossible to tell exactly what the massive demon was thinking. His features were a carefully controlled mask that allowed no emotion to slip through. “I am pleased that you were able to succeed. But I believe I told you to bring Spider.”

“I did,” Zorin said. He looked back to Noah. “This is Spider.”

Mascot meowed.

“It is not Spider that I question. It is the zoo that you brought along with him,” Belkus ground out, a flicker of irritation passing through his icy eyes. He leaned forward in his throne and his features tightened. Belkus’ stare bore straight into Zath. “Who are the others, Zorin? Look at them! Why have you invited these demons into my halls?”

“They are attendants, Lord Belkus,” Zorin provided after a second of hesitation. “They are Spider’s…”

Zorin trailed off.

“Attendants?” Belkus asked, disbelief tinging his words. “Attendants? Look at them, Zorin! Do you really think those are attendants? Use your head, Commander. Who are they?”

Noah kept his face impassive. He was fairly confident that Belkus wouldn’t go back on his word — that would have made him look incredibly weak to every other demon in the city, and there had been more than enough witnesses of his promise to make sure Belkus wouldn’t take it back.

That didn’t mean he trusted the Demon Lord to behave rationally, and Noah had basically strolled into Belkus’ house with the representative of a rival Lord. Belkus absolutely knew who Zath was. He’d asked Zorin the most rhetorical question that had ever been uttered.

“What are you?” Zorin whispered, looking back at Mascot.

Mascot stared at him. Then, in an impressive display of acrobatics, he curled in on himself, still holding onto Noah’s sleeve with his claws, and started grooming his ass again.

Zorin waited for a moment longer, as if expecting Mascot to actually answer him once he was finished. When it became apparent that Mascot had no plans of finishing nor answering, the captain looked at Aylin.

“What are you?”

“A demon?”

“To Spider,” Zorin said in a low hiss. “I know you’re a demon. What are you to Spider?”

Aylin flinched. His eyes darted to Belkus, who watched over them with impassive silence. It was like trying to wring information from a brick wall.

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“I—”

“Quickly now,” Zorin said. “Lord Belkus does not like to be kept waiting. He wishes to know who you are to Spider.”

“I — uh, we’re not dating,” Aylin stammered, stumbling over his own words in stress. It didn’t look like any actual thought had gone into them. His mouth was just moving, trying to get an answer out and pass the attention on to someone else. “Miss Moxie is with him. I wouldn’t try to get involved in that. It’s way too dangerous, and he’s also a lot older than me. Not that much older, but older. A bit. Well, maybe a lot, but—”

“Aylin,” Noah said.

“Yes, Spider?”

“That’s enough.”

“Right. Sorry.” Aylin adjusted his collar and swallowed heavily. “I’ve never met a Demon Lord before.”

“You never answered the question. You just said what you aren’t,” Zorin said. His voice rose slightly in annoyance. “Someone answer lord Belkus’ question! He has requested an introduction!”

“Zorin, as much as I value your loyalty, I fear your comprehensive skills have not progressed in the hundreds of years we have known each other.” One of his hands clenched into a fist. “I am not a fool. Before us stands—”

“I am Zath,” Zath proclaimed, his words tearing through the room like crashing thunder. “Harbinger of Sievan. The Cracked Blade, the Breathless End.”

There was a long pause.

“I know who you are,” Belkus ground out.

“Ah, I understand. You want to know my relation to Spider.” Zath said, tapping the side of his helm. “I am also not dating him.”

Belkus’ composure broke.

“I know you’re not dating Spider!” Belkus roared. “Why is the Breathless End in my castle? Sievan did not announce your presence. This goes against our accord. Do you seek to challenge me?”

Zath tilted his head to the side. “No. I would not waste my energy on such trivial things. I am here because Spider and I have business. I am unwilling to stand around like a dog and wait for a meeting, so Zorin was kind enough to invite me.”

“You broke a treaty because you did not wish to wait?”

“Yes,” Zath said.

“I can respect that,” Belkus said after a moment. His eyes narrowed. “Or, I would be able to, had you not brought a snake to my doorstep.”

Aylin glanced around the room. His lips twisted into a frown and he leaned in to whisper to Noah. “We didn’t invite Pirren, did we?”

“I don’t think so,” Noah replied.

“There is a snake?” Shock passed over Zorin’s features and he spun toward Noah and the others. “I will check them at once, Lord Belkus. Allowing a lowly monster to enter your sanctum is a failing on my part. I will take full responsibility.”

“Not a literal snake,” Belkus snapped, pinching the bridge of his nose between two fingers and sinking back into his chair. The bones jutting from its back caught on his shirt, but he didn’t seem to notice. He pointed at Yoru. “The Rising Moon, Zorin. She is right there.”

Zorin spun in the direction that Belkus had pointed, fury covering his features. He spotted Yoru and froze.

Realization passed over his face.

“I see the issue, Lord Belkus,” Zorin said solemnly. “I had similar difficulties. But this is Yoru. Not Yoku.”

Belkus stared at them.

“You said the same name twice.”

“No. One of them is slightly different. Yoru has an ‘r’. Yoku has a ‘k’. Subtle, but different. An easy mistake to make, Lord Belkus, I can assure you. I made it myself.”

“That is the Rising Moon,” Belkus said flatly. “She has changed her name by one letter, Zorin.”

Zorin turned back to Yoku, betrayal crossing over his features. “You lied to me?”

“No,” Yoru replied. “I have been called Yoru.”

“Oh.” Zorin returned his attention to Belkus. “There you have it, Lord Belkus. She did not lie.”

“Damnable Loyalty Demons,” Belkus muttered, sinking even lower into his throne. “Have I ever told you that I would have had you executed had you not been so dedicated, Zorin?”

“Three times this week, Lord Belkus.”

“Make it four.” Belkus leaned forward, then rose from his throne. A shadow stretched out over the ground and passed over Noah as the huge demon extended to his full height. The movement was joined by a slow, ripping tear as the throne clung to the back of the Demon Lord’s shirt.

Belkus was so strong that he didn’t even seem to notice until he’d completely risen, leaving the back half of his garb attached to the jutting pieces of the throne behind him. The front of his shirt fluttered down to land at his feet, leaving him completely bare chested.

“You lost your shirt, Lord Belkus.”

“Thank you, Zorin,” Belkus said, glancing down at the scrap. “I am aware. However, I find myself considerably more concerned with the Rank 7 Demon seeking my throne that you have led into my halls.”

“I have no interest in your throne,” Zath said.

“Not you,” Belkus said.

Zorin and Zath both turned toward Noah at the exact same time.

“The creature?” Zorin asked.

“I suspected it to be strange,” Zath said. “It bears no presence, yet its canvas is… uniquely agonizing. I would avoid irritating it.”

“Not the gods-damned cat either,” Belkus said. “Yoru. Yoku. Whatever she wishes to be named — she is still the Rising Moon. I am aware of her machinations. I have seen what she has accomplished, using misdirection to manipulate people into obeying her desires. She seeks control of Treadon.”

“You do?” Zorin asked Yoru.

“Why would you want to be a Lord?” Zath asked with a befuddled frown. “It’s a horrible bore.”

“I am traveling with Spider. He invited me,” Yoru said.

Noah’s eye twitched.

Way to throw me under the bus, Yoru. I suppose my guess that you were physically older than you appeared was right, but what’s this they’re saying about ruling the city? Is that what your goal is?

“She has expressed no desire in ruling the city to me,” Noah said. “I have no interest for ruling Treadon. I’ve just liberated some of your resources. You weren’t using them.”

Belkus pressed his lips thin. “I suspect you and I will be able to find common ground, Spider. But I called you here for one purpose — to ensure that you not fall into the grasp of the Rising Moon. She is a controller, one that will seek to set us against each other. She may not speak lies, but her truths are concealed in shadow. Do not trust her.”

Noah studied Yoru. He didn’t doubt a word of what Belkus said — but he wasn’t about to give up his advantage. If Belkus was scared of Yoru, then this was actually a benefit. He could leverage that.

“I am here only because Spider invited me,” Yoru said. “This was the path he desired. It may lead to another in the future, but I am not here to fight you today.”

Belkus blinked. “You… aren’t? You bring an army of powerful warriors, then claim not to seek to fight me?”

“Yes.”

“Then what is your greatest desire?” Belkus asked, watching Yoru warily. “I know how you work, Rising Moon. Answer me plainly, or one of us will die today — and you are not powerful enough to fight me in direct combat.”

“My greatest desire is far too complex to answer plainly.”

“Your greatest desire that is possible to be accomplished during the duration of this meeting,” Belkus said. “What is it that you would like to do most right now?”

Yoru tilted her head to the side. For several long seconds, everyone waited on her answer. Then she turned toward Noah.

“I would like to pet the cat.”

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